(a) Field
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), and more particularly, to an LCD capable of effectively preventing generation of a change in an optical characteristic due to misalignments between an upper panel and a lower panel.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) is one of the widely used flat panel displays currently, and includes two display panels on which electric field generating electrodes such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed, and a liquid crystal layer between the two display panels. The LCD applies a voltage to the electric field generating electrode to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer, determines orientation of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer through the generated electric field, and controls polarization of incident light, so as to display an image.
Among LCDs, a vertically aligned mode LCD of which a long axis of the liquid crystal molecule is aligned to be orthogonal to the display panel in a state where the electric field is not applied has been developed.
Securing an optical viewing angle is a big issue in the vertically aligned mode LCD, and accordingly, a method of forming a cutout such as a micro slit in the electric field generating electrode is used. Since the cutout or a protrusion determines a tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecule, the viewing angle can be expanded by distributing the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecule in various directions through a proper arrangement of the cutout or the protrusion.
Particularly, in a method in which the micro slit is defined in the pixel electrode and thus a plurality of branch electrodes are provided, an aperture ratio of the LCD is effectively reduced.